PMG Photograph Conservation Training

Photographic Material

Photographic Materials Group

Back to Photographic Materials Main Page

Page Information
Date initiated	January 2022
Page Compiler	Emma Cieslik
Contributors	Luisa Casella, Alejandra Mendoza, Ashley Stanford

Photograph Conservation Training[edit | edit source]

Specialization in this area can be achieved through specialized graduate training, internships and further advanced though fellowships. This page focuses on training opportunities to specialize in Photograph Conservation.For information on photograph conservation initiatives see also Photograph Conservation Around the World.

Graduate Programs[edit | edit source]


Country	Program Name	Description	Contact and Photography Faculty
Austria	Conservation - Restoration of Paper / Photographs / Books / Archive Material, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien		Univ.-Prof. Dr. Carolin Bohlmann Phone: + 43 (1) 58816 - 8800 Email: c.bohlmann@akbild.ac.at
Canada	Queen's University	2-year Master of Art Conservation with research or treatment stream options	Rosaleen Hill (Director and Assistant Professor - Paper Conservation, Photographic Materials and New Media)
Canada	Ryerson University Film + Photography Preservation and Collections Management	2-year Master of arts program focused on film and photography preservation	Marta Braun (Professor in the School of Image Arts, Ryerson University and Director of its graduate program in Photographic Preservation) Facebook
Colombia	Universidad Externado de Colombia	Two one-year postgraduate programs in submerged cultural heritage and sustainability and cultural heritage
Denmark	The Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Schools of Architecture, Design and Conservation KADK	2-year Master of arts program	Lene Grinde (part-time lecturer on conservation) and Mogens S. Koch (practicing conservator, Danish Portal for Artistic and Scientific Research)
France	Institut national du patrimoine, Aubervilliers	5-year Master's program involving theoretical, academic and scientific training
Mexico	National School of Conservation, Restoration and Museography (ENCRyM)	9-semester program in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage, with an elective semester on Conservation of Photographs	Liliana Dávila, Ana Lizeth Mata Delgado
Netherlands	UvA University of Amsterdam	2-year Master of science in Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage	Clara von Waldthausen (humanities faculty member)
Poland	Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw	5-year Master program with four different specialties: (1) paintings and wooden sculpture, (2) books, prints, and antique leather, (3) stone sculpture and architectural elements, and (4) antique textiles	Prof dr hab. Marzenna Ciechańska (Dean of the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art)
Poland	Fine Arts in Krakow, Faculty of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art	Conservation program with two specialties - painting conservation and restoration, and sculpture conservation and restoration
Poland	Nicolaus Copernicus University in Torun	Conservation and restoration of art program	Dr. Tomasz Kozielec (Head of Department of Paper and Leather Conservation)
Portugal	Universidade Nova de Lisboa	Master of arts in conservation and restoration
Spain	Escola Superior de Conservació i Restauració de Béns Culturals de Catalunya (ESCRBCC)	Master in Conservation and Restoration of Photographic Heritage
United States	SUNY Buffalo State University - Patricia H. and Richard E. Garman Art Conservation Department	3-year program awarding a dual MA/MS degree: Master of Arts in Conservation of Art and Cultural Heritage, and Master of Science in Conservation Science and Imaging, and the option to specialize in photograph conservation	Theresa Smith (Associate Professor of Paper Conservation); Gary Albright, Guest Lecturer. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube
United States	New York University	4-year dual Master of Arts and Master of Science in Conservation and Art History	Nora Kennedy (Adjunct Faculty in Fine Arts) Katherine Sanderson Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
United States	University of Rochester/GEH, Photographic Preservation and Collections Management	Master's program in Photographic Preservation and Collections Management with coursework, internship rotation and final essay	Joan Saab (Associate Professor of Art History, PPCM Program Co-Director)
United States	Winterthur/University of Delaware	3-year Master of Science program in Art Conservation, option specializing in photography	Debbie Norris (Chairperson in Art Conservation) Barbara Lemmen Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Research Scholarships and Fellowships[edit | edit source]


Title	Institution	City, Country	Description	Eligibility	Duration
Andrew W. Mellon Advanced Training Fellowship in Photograph Conservation	National Gallery of Art	Washington DC, USA	Working under the guidance of the Gallery’s conservators and scientists, the fellow will focus on two aspects: treatment of the photograph collections and a self-selected research project that culminates in a publishable paper. The photograph collections include both fine art photographs in the department of photographs and research collections in the Library.	Graduates degree in conservation with a concentration in photographs or equivalent training. No more than five years of work experience after graduation.	3 years
Andrew W. Mellon Fellow in Photograph Conservation	Art Institute of Chicago	Chicago, IL		Graduate degree in conservation or equivalent experience	2 years
Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in Photograph Conservation	Cleveland Museum of Art	Cleveland, OH	Treatment and research.	Graduate degree in conservation or equivalent experience	1-3 years
Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship in Photograph Conservation	Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)	New York City, USA	Research project using the Museum's resources and collection.	Graduate degree in conservation or equivalent experience	2-3 years
Post-Graduate Fellow in Photo Conservation	Amon Carter Museum of American Art	Fort Worth, TX	Examination, documentation, analysis, treatment, and research on the collection and is expected to present their findings at a professional conference and produce a formal paper before the end of the appointment based on research completed during the fellowship.	Graduate degree in conservation or equivalent experience	2 years
Post-Graduate Fellowship in Photographic Conservation	Lunder Conservation Center, Smithsonian American Art Museum	Washington DC, USA	The fellow will work with the SAAM Photographic Conservator, Curator, and Curatorial Research Assistance on conservation treatments, preservation, and research of artworks. They will also collaborate with SAAM's registration department to catalog components and perform condition exams on two collections, and with Smithsonian MCI researchers for materials analysis. The project will include remedial treatments and stabilization interventions.	U.S. and international conservators with a Master’s degree in conservation from a recognized conservation training program	2 years
Research Scholarship in Photograph Conservation	The Metropolitan Museum of Art	New York City, USA	Senior Conservation Fellowship. Research project focusing on the Museum's resources and collection.	Graduate degree in conservation or equivalent experience	2-3 years
The Robert Mapplethorpe Foundation Fellowship in Photograph Conservation	The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum	New York City, NY	Focus on the conservation, preservation, and research of the photographic collection held by the Guggenheim Museum, working in a collaborative and interdisciplinary lab. Participate in a research initiative focused on the museum's Robert Mapplethorpe Collection.	Master's degree in art conservation	2 years

Internship Opportunities[edit | edit source]

The following institutions and labs have traditionally offered internships in Photograph Conservation:

Chicago Albumen Works
Conservation Center for Art & Historic Artifacts
Gawain Weaver Art Conservation
George Eastman Museum
Harry Ransom Center
Library of Congress offers a third year graduate internship in photograph conservation
Northeast Document Conservation Center
Preus Museum – National Museum of Photography of Norway offers internship program in photograph conservation.
The Better Image

Resources[edit | edit source]

Continued Education[edit | edit source]

FAIC Collaborative Workshops in Photograph Conservation[edit | edit source]

Initiated by Debra Hess Norris and Nora Kennedy in 1997 with funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, this workshop series became part of the FAIC professional development program in 2009 through an endowment grant from the same foundation. Every two years, approximately three workshops are organized: two hands-on sessions for smaller groups and one lecture-based session for a larger audience. These workshops aim to address emerging needs in photograph conservation, focusing on traditional photographic processes and the preservation and identification of digital prints and other new media. Participants commonly receive resources such as supporting reference texts.

List of workshops:[edit | edit source]

1997 – Nineteenth Century Silver Based Photographic Print Processes
1999 – Pictorialist Processes of the Photo-Secession

2000 – Mounting and Unmounting of Photographic Materials
2000 – Contemporary Photographic Processes
2001 – Compensation for Loss
2001 – Finishing Photographs
2002 – Nineteenth Century Silver Based Photographic Print Processes
2002 – Contemporary Photographic Processes
2004 - Pictorialist Processes of the Photo-Secession. November 29-December 3, 2004. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
2004 – Damaged and Deteriorated Photographic Print Materials: Compensation for Loss, March 22-26, 2004, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2005 - Nineteen Century Photographic Negative Processes. June 13-17, 2005. George Eastman House, Rochester, NY
2006 - Photographs and Preventive Conservation. February 27-March 1, 2006. Library of Congress, Washington, DC
2006 - Contemporary Photography: Digital Prints. November 6-10, 2006. San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco, CA
2007 - Nineteen Century Silver Based Photographic Print Processes. October 8 - 12, 2007. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
2007 - Contemporary Photography: Digital Prints
2008 - Damaged and Deteriorated Print Materials: Compensation for Loss. January 28-February 1, 2008, Los Angeles, CA, J. Paul Getty Museum
2008 - Conservation Issues in Contemporary Photography: 20th Century Color. October 20-24, 2008. New York City, NY, MoMA, New York, NY
2009 - Conservation of Daguerreotypes. October. 19-23, 2009. Weissman Preservation Center, Cambridge, MA
2010 – Characterization of Silver Gelatin Photographs, September 30 – October 1, 2010, The New York Public Library, New York, NY
2011 – The Treatment of Pressure Sensitive Tapes and Tape Stains on Photographs, November 28 – December 2, 2011, National Conservation Training Center, Shepherdstown, WV
2011 – Nineteenth Century Photographic Negative Processes, June 20-24, 2011, George Eastman House, Rochester, NY
2012 – Identification and Conservation of Digital Prints, October 29 – November 2, 2012, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, Boston, MA
2012 – Scientific Analysis of Photographic Materials, June 12-15, 2012, Indianapolis Museum of Art, Indianapolis, IN
2013 – Conservation of Glass in Photography, October 21-25, 2013, The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, CA
2014 – Platinum and Palladium Photographs, October 21-14, 2014, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
2016 – Plastics Associated with Photographic Materials, March 14-17, 2016, Center for Creative Photography, Tucson, AZ
2017 – Salted Paper Prints: Process and Purpose, September 14 – 15, 2017, Harvard Faculty Club, Cambridge, MA
2018 – Compensation for Loss in the Conservation of Photographic Materials, April 23-27, 2018, George Eastman Museum, Rochester, NY
2019 – Material Immaterial: Photographs in the 21^st Century, September 23-25, 2019, Yale University, New Haven, CT
2021 – Data Analysis & Visualization for Conservation Professionals, January 12 – February 16, online
2022 – The Big Picture, June 13-16, 2022, Museum of Modern Art, New York, NY
2023 - Photomechanical Prints: History, Technology, Aesthetics, and Use. October 31-November 2, 2023, at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.